Elvis Presley’s 1988 Burger King Sighting (and More) in Kalamazoo
Most of us who were around 40+ years ago recall the infamous sighting of the supposedly-deceased Elvis Presley, spotted by someone in a Kalamazoo Burger King.
It was 1988 when a customer claimed to see Elvis Presley eating a Whopper at the downtown Kalamazoo Burger King. A local mom and daughter said they saw Elvis in a supermarket buying fuses and then going to the Burger King on West Michigan Avenue, where he scarfed down a Whopper.
Elvis died on August 16th, 1977, much to the disbelief of die-hard Elvis fans and conspiracy theorists. It/’s not hard to imagine him faking his own death, to escape the ridiculously universal fame he achieved in his short lifetime, with no rest night or day – from fans, hangers-on, the record company, concert promoters, and even his own managers and crew.
Although “Elvis” has been seen in various cities across the country, Kalamazoo is the most famous one.
According to Vicksburg resident Louise Welling, she saw Elvis in the back seat of a police car. "A police officer came to our house one day and in the back seat was Elvis Presley; what I thought was Elvis Presley. At the time, I shrugged it off and said, "No, it can't be.....I can still describe what he was wearing. He had this Navy P-coat or jacket, and a real pretty shade of blue shirt. He just looked so neat and clean.”
Then there's a rumor that Elvis once claimed he lived in Kalamazoo.
There is said to be a tape recorded during an Elvis concert where he is talking to the audience: "Hey, you know I don't even live in Tennessee. Tennessee is a joke. I live in that place in Michigan." And the audience is hollering out, "Lansing, Pontiac?" He says, "No, Kalamazoo."
Other Elvis incidents in Michigan include the above-mentioned infamous Burger King sighting, and a man who looked like Elvis entered a woman’s apartment and took her bottle of epilepsy medicine, a jar of peanut butter and a bunch of her bananas.
A pregnant woman said she received a phone call at the hospital from Elvis. Another said she got a call from Elvis’ daughter, Lisa Marie Presley.
Other celebrities said to fake their own deaths include Jim Morrison, Andy Kaufman, Michael Jackson, and Marilyn Monroe. It’s not too far-fetched to believe someone has done this. Whether Elvis was the one will always be the most newsworthy.
By the way, Elvis’ Kalamazoo Burger King location was 760 W. Michigan Avenue. The building closed in 2010 and was torn down. Now sitting on that site is Walgreen’s.
Gary James' Interview With Kalamazoo Michigan Resident Louise Welling
